In a bold and moving book that is sure to spark heated debate; the novelist and cultural critic James Carroll maps the profoundly troubling two-thousand-year course of the Church’s battle against Judaism and faces the crisis of faith it has provoked in his own life as a Catholic. More than a chronicle of religion; this dark history is the central tragedy of Western civilization; its fault lines reaching deep into our culture. The Church’s failure to protest the Holocaust — the infamous “silence†of Pius Xii — is only part of the story: the death camps; Carroll shows; are the culmination of a long; entrenched tradition of anti-Judaism. From Gospel accounts of the death of Jesus on the cross; to Constantine’s transformation of the cross into a sword; to the rise of blood libels; scapegoating; and modern anti-Semitism; Carroll reconstructs the dramatic story of the Church’s conflict not only with Jews but with itself. Yet in tracing the arc of this narrative; he implicitly affirms that it did not necessarily have to be so. There were roads not taken; heroes forgotten; new roads can be taken yet. Demanding that the Church finally face this past in full; Carroll calls for a fundamental rethinking of the deepest questions of Christian faith. Only then can Christians; Jews; and all who carry the burden of this history begin to forge a new future. Drawing on his well-known talents as a storyteller and memoirist; and weaving historical research through an intensely personal examination of conscience; Carroll has created a work of singular power and urgency. Constantine'S Sword is a brave and affecting reckoning with difficult truths that will touch every reader.
#817741 in Books Dividends 2010-09-13Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .30 x 6.00l; .38 #File Name: 0615372880132 pagesISBN13: 9780615372884Condition: NewNotes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Review
47 of 47 people found the following review helpful. Great Read!!!!!By MomThanks for the tears and the memories. This was an incredible book told from a true survivor and his family. I fell in love with Papa; and his courage and the continual sadness of working so hard and getting cheated by so many people. I can't believe you talked with a group of survivors...that alone would be a memory of a lifetime. I am so proud of you and your family. This book will remain in your family for years. I am glad Papa had a chance to tell us all. Tell Papa thanks for sharing a history that we should all be aware of. Also; what a great person he truly is. Sounds like he REALLY cared about his family and still does.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A much needed reality check!By bruce kahnIt was wonderful and at times heart wrenching. I grew up with similar family and friends. It truly touched me bringing me to tears at times. Ms. Cohen was a conduit to a time of pain and suffering of my Jewish people. I'm 63 now and remember my grandparents speaking of the horrors and cruelties that had occurred in their not too distant past. You could hear it in their voices but more so when looking into their eyes; their souls. Thank you for a much needed insight.So what's next Felice?1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. This book is an important treasure; excellent in every way.By Mandy G.I've read many; many books about the Holocaust and thought I had read all of the inhumane ways the prisoners were abused; but I was surprised to learn of several more ways that the Nazis in charge of the concentration camps exhibited their vile; evil; wretched; sociopathic disregard for life. Papa was a saint to have been able to maintain his determination to survive the camps and all the additional tragedies in his life. He chose to relive the horrors in order to share his experiences and his ultimate triumph over evil. His story is a precious gift to all people so that what he and millions of others experienced will be a poignant history lesson that must never be repeated. This book is a treasure.
